Elena Perlino Details The Lives Of Nigerian Prostitutes In Italy.

Nigerian women are being trafficked to Italy hoping for a better life – but often end up working the streets as prostitutes.

Their plight has been highlighted by Paris-based photographer Elena Perlino, originally from Italy, who began to notice the presence of young African women working on the streets during her commutes from Turin.

She said: 'I decided to start from this surreal vision to tell a story. I have been working on the topic for several years, focusing mainly on the Italian connection.'

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Police control find a Nigerian woman working as a prostitute in the outskirt of Turin

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Nigerian woman Fatima shows the scars on her body due to vicious fighting with collegues working as prostitutes in the outskirts of Acerra

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A Nigerian in Italy waits for a client in the countryside during the winter season

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A Nigerian cultural mediator offers condoms and psychological support to some of the younger prostitutes working close to Acerra

Perlino reveals that many Nigerian women come to Italy hoping to make enough money to support their families back home, but often they get trapped or tricked by traffickers into working in the sex trade.

Arrests, violence and abuse often follow.

Traffickers demand on average more than 50,000 euros (US $60,000) for travel expenses and accommodation, with the women having to work as prostitutes until their debts are paid off.

As Claudio Magnabosco, former official of the European Parliament, explained: 'The women are still coming: they are younger than ever and arrive here with massive debts to pay off.

'They are forced into prostitution and are now increasingly reinventing themselves as madams or working for the traffickers, also trafficking men, children for adoptions and organs and drug dealing.

'These are the activities of the powerful Nigerian mafia, which is also involved in arms dealing. What has changed is that the madams are now less violent towards the girls, having understood that if they mistreat them the girls run away: the girls forced into the sex industry now get to keep a little of the money they earn and this makes their lives a little bit more tolerable.

'As they cannot find a real way out, they get used to life as prostitutes and prostitution becomes their only source of income.'

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Nigerian women working as prostitutes in the North area of Turin

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Nigerian women in a Catholic shelter for victims of trafficking

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A Nigerian woman in a temporary detention centre

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Italian police review the documents of a Nigerian woman working as a prostitute

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A Nigerian woman, working as a prostitute in the countryside, is taken to a police station because she was found without a passport

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A Nigerian called Faith having a blood test at the Amedeo di Savoia Hospital in Turin

Eighty per cent of women trafficked to Italy come from Benin City, Edo State, in south Nigeria.

The photographer explained: ‘My work attempts to show a complex phenomenon that crosses Italy from North to South.

‘This involves many cities including Turin, Milan, Genoa, Rome, Naples and Palermo and thousands of Nigerian and Italian people.’

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime declared Nigeria among the top eight countries with the highest human trafficking rates in the world.

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This photograph shows a Nigerian woman waiting for a client in the summer season

Comments

These girls look pretty strong to me, not amputated, not disadvantaged in any way. So why resort to prostitution? It is really sad that a lot of people still think they cannot make money doing something legit. They just want to own a thousand bucks at once yet they end up spending the money treating all manner of illness sef. What's pushing them to Italy in the first place? Today is not the first we will hear woes and tales about the harsh business landscape here in Nigeria but people still make good money, legitimately too. They should just stop being lazy abeg, looking for quickie money and people should learn to have some patience too.

I do believe that everyone is blessed with certain measure of talent, take time to nurture and turn them around to income-generating interests. When Thelma starts making money off this blog now, people will be quick to forget all the arduous hours it takes to type and think of exciting stories. The months she didn't get money off the blog, did she resort to anything immoral or illegal? I'm doubt that.

The fear for us millennial is our sudden obsession over loads of money and our refusal to get our hands busy to make that money! Let them go and carry 'konkere' at building sites jo. Lemme not vex.

I'm a Benin Boy, Yes. I'm totally not in support of Prostitution as a source of income. That said...The way you have rubbished their mental/Physical strength to 'hustle' this way, to me, is quite ridiculous.

A lady without Passport caught by italian Police, the question is how did the lady get there? Did she teleport herself? Do u know what it takes to pass through a desert void of any living thing without water and food sometimes for days? Do u think Thelma can do that(all due respect), I'm Using her as an example since u brought her blog as an example of Self employment. Do you know what it takes to be in a family of Six without any form of help from no one? (For the record, in Benin it is rare for close relations(cousins n aunts) to take it upon themselves to help their extended family aside for the Nuclear). So you grow up seeing your own cousins and aunts with cars, houses and all but u can't 'taste d money' unlike psquare? Den you overhear their secret of riches, which to you is another way to bring your own family out of the turmoil without resorting to violence. You summon up the courage to face death in the face just to make Ur own family better.

They get to Italy and realize they can't come back Cos of all they passed tru in the desert to get to there. That moment prostitution becomes the only way in a country that speaks a different language and diff. culture, to make something out for the rest of their families.

And here You think it is Laziness, I resent that. Yes, Prostitution is Bad. It is not a Good way to make a Living. But the least of it is you Thinking going out of this country By Land is an Act of Laziness. I hope you understand dat it won't be difficult to be prostitute in Nigeria and even Benin city to be precise. I really hope you can Retract from Making Hasty conclusions on these ladies.

PS: I have No affiliation/relation in Italy but I just feel that EmpathyCos it takes a whole lot to do what they do just For their Families back home! That's an Act of Selflessness my dear

I had to read your comment over and over again, it just appears to me you are in full support of their actions. U mean prostitution is the ONLY way out? I did not jump to hasty conclusions and I spoke in general terms as well, looking beyond these ones that we have read their story. If I may ask though, what sort of job did they hope to get there in the first place? People have been in tougher situations and didn't have to prostitute. Granted I may not have had the same experience as them being in a strange land but I haven't exactly had it rosy either. Let me not even begin with my story...nothing justifies it please. Nothing at all.

Oyinlola! I love you but for the first time, i'm gonna have to call you out on your comment! I think you're being too judgmental! And after all you "said".. you went on to "say" you're not condemning or damning them! Lol! If you were now condemning them nko?!

You really do not understand. People make choices they live to regret... some more than the others. You've never been in those shoes before and you're just seeing it from one tiny angle. Uyi tried to broaden it but u just refused to see it. I am in no way encouraging prostitution... but really! Where's your sense of empathy in all of these?!

But seriously, why do these girls keep falling for this scam? I have watched several documenteries, and movies that shows us what these girls who r promised heaven and earth when they get to italy end up doing. But these girls will neva learn.hmmm. I refuse to judge anyone. Na how we see d world.

I'm from benin city and I still don't know why lots of girls come from edo state. An edo girl saying she's going to Italy for holiday, school, or work ? Everyone automatically thinks prostitution. I hope these girls get the help they need and hopefully sent back home.

I think pple abroad don't help matters at all,I keep telling my friends wat we go thru here and they feel am lying. What u see in movies is NOT wat is obtained! Life abroad is HARD! no one will give u a dime for free even though I know some pple that moved here but can't get.a permit to work

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